Shutting out the Mets, 5-0, Joe Niekro posted his eighth straight victory to tie the Astros' club record set by the late Don Wilson in 1969. Niekro allowed only four hits in racking up his fourth shutout of the season.

The Astros scored a run in the second inning when Enos Cabell singled, stole second and crossed the plate on a single by Jeff Leonard. Their other counters came without the benefit of a hit after two walks, a wild pitch and an intentional pass loaded the bases in the sixth. Pat Zachry then walked Alan Ashby to force in one run, Mike Scott relieved and passed Niekro to admit another tally and two more runs followed on an infield out by Terry Puhl and a balk by Scott. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, New York Mets 0
Game Played on Friday, June      8, 1979 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  1  0    0  0  4    0  0  0  -   5  8  0
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               4   0   2   1     1   0   .270      Youngblood rf         4   0   0   0     0   0   .301
Reynolds ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .286      Taveras ss            4   0   1   0     0   1   .227
Cedeno 1b             4   0   1   0     1   0   .259      Mazzilli cf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .343
Cruz lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .292      Montanez 1b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .216
Cabell 3b             4   2   2   0     0   1   .300      Stearns c             3   0   1   0     1   0   .237
Leonard rf            4   1   2   1     0   0   .315      Henderson lf          3   0   0   0     0   2   .268
Howe 2b               3   1   0   0     1   0   .212      Trevino 3b            2   0   1   0     1   0   .395
  Landestoy 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .171      Flynn 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .225
Ashby c               3   1   1   1     1   0   .223      Zachry p              1   0   1   0     0   0   .125
Niekro p              3   0   0   1     1   0   .118        Scott p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Boisclair ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Falcone p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .176
                                                            Maddox ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .234
                                                            Twitchell p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .333

Totals               33   5   8   4     5   1             Totals               30   0   4   0     2   4

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 12,196
Left on Base: Astros 7, Mets 6
DP: Astros 0, Mets 0
Errors: Stearns
Doubles: Trevino (4)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (15)
Caught Stealing: Puhl (11), Stearns (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Reynolds (16)
Hit by Pitch: Henderson (2,by Niekro)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(9-2)           9     4   0   0   2   4   0  33   2.46
Totals                  9     4   0   0   2   4   0  33

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Zachry L(5-1)           5.1   7   5   5   4   0   0  26   3.59
Scott                   0.2   0   0   0   1   0   0   3   4.78
Falcone                 2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   5.19
Twitchell               1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   5.32
Totals                  9     8   5   5   5   1   0  39

Hit by Pitch: Niekro (3)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (4), Zachry (1)
Balks: Scott (1)

Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - Doug Harvey, 2B - Lanny Harris, 3B - Andy Olsen


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled to center; Puhl was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Reynolds popped to third in foul
territory; Cedeno walked; Cruz flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Youngblood lined to shortstop; Taveras struck out;
Mazzilli grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cabell singled to left; Cabell stole second [Cabell
to third (error by Stearns)]; Leonard singled to center [Cabell
scored]; Howe flied out to right; Ashby grounded out (second to
first) [Leonard to second]; Niekro made an out to second; 1 R, 2
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Montanez grounded out (second to first); Stearns
grounded out (pitcher to first); Henderson struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

ASTROS 3RD: On a bunt Puhl singled to pitcher; Reynolds out on a
sacrifice bunt (third to first) [Puhl to second]; Cedeno singled
to shortstop [Puhl stayed at second]; Cruz flied out to center;
Cabell forced Cedeno (third to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 1, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Trevino grounded out (second to first); Flynn grounded
out (pitcher to first); Zachry singled to left; Youngblood flied
out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Leonard flied out to right; Howe grounded out
(pitcher to first); Ashby popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Taveras flied out to left; Mazzilli grounded out
(first unassisted); Montanez grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Niekro grounded out (pitcher to first); Puhl walked;
Reynolds forced Puhl (right to shortstop); Cedeno made an out to
shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

METS 5TH: Stearns singled to center; Stearns was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Henderson struck out; Trevino
doubled to left; Flynn flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 1, Mets 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz flied out to right; Cabell singled to right;
Leonard singled to center [Cabell to second]; Zachry threw a
wild pitch [Cabell to third, Leonard to second]; Howe was walked
intentionally; Ashby walked [Cabell scored, Leonard to third,
Howe to second]; SCOTT REPLACED ZACHRY (PITCHING); Niekro walked
[Leonard scored, Howe to third, Ashby to second]; Puhl forced
Niekro (second to shortstop) [Howe scored, Ashby to third];
Scott balked [Ashby scored, Puhl to second]; Reynolds grounded
out (shortstop to first); 4 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets
0.

METS 6TH: BOISCLAIR BATTED FOR SCOTT; Boisclair grounded out
(second to first); Youngblood flied out to center; On a bunt
Taveras singled to first; Mazzilli grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 0.

ASTROS 7TH: FALCONE REPLACED BOISCLAIR (PITCHING); Cedeno flied
out to left; Cruz grounded out (second to first); Cabell struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 0.

METS 7TH: Montanez struck out; Stearns lined to shortstop;
Henderson was hit by a pitch; Trevino walked [Henderson to
second]; Flynn forced Trevino (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Leonard grounded out (third to first); Howe grounded
out (third to first); Ashby singled to center; Niekro lined to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 0.

METS 8TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 2B); MADDOX BATTED
FOR FALCONE; Maddox popped to first in foul territory;
Youngblood popped to first; Taveras popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 0.

ASTROS 9TH: TWITCHELL REPLACED MADDOX (PITCHING); Puhl lined to
shortstop; Reynolds grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
5, Mets 0.

METS 9TH: Mazzilli flied out to center; Montanez popped to
catcher in foul territory; Stearns walked; Niekro threw a wild
pitch [Stearns to second]; Henderson lined to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 0.